Are You Eating Too Much Raw Kale?

This might come as a shock, especially for die-hard kale lovers like me, but it is possible to eat too much kale.

Now let’s be clear, I am talking about raw kale. I was having handfuls of raw kale blended into my smoothie everyday, and after two weeks I developed hives. Hives is an itchy rash – a result of an allergic reaction. So I did some research and found that there’s a lot of evidence to suggest raw kale can be damaging to our health.

Cruciferous veggies like kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, spinach and cauliflower should all be cooked in order to reduce the goitrogenic substances (who comes up with these words?). Goitrogens are chemicals that block thyroid hormone production. Suddenly that ‘slimming’ raw kale smoothie ain’t looking so slimming.

I think this is a case where ‘everything in moderation’ is the moral of the story. Raw kale every now and then probably won’t hurt you, but if consumed every day, it might. Studies show raw cruciferous vegetables may contribute to kidney stones or cause damage to the colon and other parts of the digestive system.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love kale as I love all leafy greens, but I’m going to cook it from now on. I got hives and was scratching all over like a feral cat, until I stopped eating raw kale. Today I had my green smoothie with avocado, kiwi, celery, apple, mint, raspberries, chia, coconut and protein.

Raw foodies won’t like this news, and many people will choose to ignore it, but do your own research and you may make a wise decision before you get… KALED.